kämpft

kämpft is a German verb form derived from kämpfen, which means to fight or to struggle. It is used for both physical combat and metaphorical battles, such as fighting for a goal, resisting hardship, or competing in sports. The nuance ranges from direct confrontation to sustained effort and perseverance.

In the present tense, kämpft appears in two main contexts: the third-person singular (er/sie/es kämpft) and the second-person plural (ihr kämpft). Other present-tense forms are ich kämpfe, du kämpfst, wir kämpfen, and sie kämpfen. The past participle is gekämpft, and the simple past form is kämpfte. Like many German verbs, kämpfen operates regularly in its conjugation, with perfect tense formed using haben as auxiliary.

Etymology and history: The verb ist vis-à-vis the noun Kampf, meaning fight. The related noun and verb share a common Germanic root, with attestations in Middle High German as kampfen, which evolved into the modern alleine form kämpfen and its present tense form kämpft in specific person-number contexts.

Usage and contexts: Kämpfen covers physical combat, athletic competition, and figurative struggles such as fighting for rights, ideals, or survival. It is common in journalism, literature, and everyday speech to describe ongoing effort or resistance, for example in sports commentary or social advocacy.

Related terms include Kampf (the noun), Konflikt (conflict), and Wettbewerb (competition). Kämpft, as a present-tense form, appears in sentences like Der Boxer kämpft im Ring, Sie kämpft gegen die Ungerechtigkeit, or Wir kämpfen für bessere Arbeitsbedingungen.